Baltimore, MD – The Italian engineering and construction company that impressively rebuilt the Morandi Bridge in Genoa, Italy after its tragic collapse is now setting its sights on revamping Baltimore’s crumbling infrastructure. Webuild, formerly known as Salini Impregilo, has sent a delegation to meet with city officials about undertaking major reconstruction projects in the Baltimore metro area.
The company’s CEO, Pietro Salini, stated in a press conference, “We were able to complete the new Genoa bridge in just one year after the disaster, a project that would normally take 4-5 years using conventional methods. Our innovative construction techniques allowed us to rebuild it rapidly and with extreme attention to quality and safety. We believe Baltimore is an ideal city for us to bring our expertise.”
Baltimore has been plagued by an aging network of bridges, roads, railways, and other key infrastructure in dire need of upgrades or complete overhauls. Some of the bridge structures date back over 100 years. A 2021 report by the American Society of Civil Engineers gave Baltimore a C- grade for its infrastructure, warning that hundreds of millions need to be invested to bring it to an acceptable level.
“We’ve been looking for solutions to tackle this growing crisis,” said Mayor Brandon Scott. “While the upfront costs seem daunting if this company can deliver quality results on time and under budget as they did in Genoa, it could be the breakthrough we need. Every year we delay, the problems compound and costs escalate.”
We are proposing a complete overhaul of the I-83 corridor along the Jones Falls Expressway, replacing the aging bridges and roadways using cutting-edge construction technologies. They also want to rebuild railroad bridges over the Patapsco River and rehabilitate sewer systems in parts of the city.
“Our modular construction process using precast elements can rebuild this critical infrastructure rapidly while minimizing disruptions to traffic, businesses, and residents,” explained Pietro Cialone, an engineer with Webuild heading the proposed Baltimore projects. “We can have new bridges installed in a matter of weeks in some cases.”
The company plans to manufacture the modular bridge components at a facility in Baltimore, providing jobs to locals. Its model is to hire a majority of the workforce directly from the project city.
Environmental groups have raised some concerns that need to be worked through. Namely, the extensive use of concrete which is one of the highest producers of greenhouse gases. Webuild claims its prefabricated modular approach reduces overall concrete needs compared to conventional construction methods.
